Tuesday Tip - May 3rd, 2011 - "Modified Carolina Rig"

All of us that bass fish have had those days when it seems like no matter what we throw ... the fish will not bite.  When I am having a day like this I have found it is better to slow things down a little and throw a modified version of the Carolina Rig.  It is not a magic pill...but more often than not it produces.

Today's tip explains how I set-up this modified Carolina Rig and why it works for me...I
 hope that you enjoy.

As always, I appreciate your follow and look forward to your feedback.  If you have comments, questions, or a suggestion on a tip you would like to see featured - do not hesitate to leave a comment or e-mail me at rb@rbwrightoutdoors.com.


Thanks,

r.b. wright

Wild Turkey – The Hunt starts now

  

 

To the non-hunter, the word turkey is synonymous with Thanksgiving Dinner. To the hunter the word is synonymous with words like “challenge”, “wary”, and “adrenaline”. For most of us who hunt "Wild Turkey", we have begun crossing out the days on our calendars eagerly awaiting the season opener as a child awaits a visit from Santa Clause. This post is designed to serve as a reminder that the act of pulling the trigger on this wary creature is actually the culmination of many days of preparation….the actual hunt begins now.

Deer Season is over yet many of us spend time in rummaging through the woods looking for sheds that have fallen from the bucks we hunted this past year and look forward to hunting in the upcoming season. While granted, this is the best opportunity to scout for next deer season it is also a prime time to scout for turkeys - so why not multi-task? Remember though, that turkeys do travel into different areas in the spring – so do not expect the area that you see a huge flock now to hold that same flock when the season comes in. This is the opportunity to begin to see where and how they are moving. The final scouting you do for blind placement should begin about 3-4 weeks prior to your opening day. Where I hunt in southeastern NC, the opener is April 15th. As a result, I scout now looking for flocks. I begin honing in on my blind placement around the end of March.

What I am looking for?

Tracks – The track of the turkey is unique and you can gauge a lot about a bird’s size and gender by studying the track. If you come across a turkey track that is 4 1/2” or longer, you are looking at the track of a gobbler. Hens typically will leave tracks that are 3 ½” or less. As the season approaches, pay special attention to the area outside the track. When a gobbler struts, their wingtips generally drag the ground leaving lines in the sand….again another sign that you are on the right “track”.

Large Tom



Smaller bird - probably hen









  "SAME COIN ON BOTH TRACKS"

Droppings – This is the one time that your mother would understand why you are studying the “poop”. When determining the sex of the bird you are tracking, the droppings are vitally important. Note that hen droppings are generally looped or spiraled – typically the diameter is less than 5/16”. A Jake is slightly larger around 3/8” and Toms closer to ½”. Also note that the droppings of male birds are relatively straight or may have a slight hook.

Gobbler droppings



Hen droppings



Where do I look? -  The area I hunt is a two mile stretch on the banks of the Black River in southeastern NC. I found over the years that while I may discover turkeys on the “high ground” I generally find them roosting near or above the water. The only explanation that I could derive from the years I have been hunting here is that this allowed them further protection from predators. They do roam a big area, but they typically are roosting over the slews of the river. I also must add that I have heard many “ole timers” state that turkeys will not fly across water. Being that this is what I have always heard, I always believed it. That is until I had a gobbler fly over the river to a flock of hens I was watching. These birds are wary, however, they will fly across water.

When trying to find the Toms, I would suggest thinking like a hen. If you find the hens, I assure that there is a Tom nearby. If you find one … you will find the other.

Take notes - I like to go to my local drug store or office supply store and purchase a five pack of what I call “mini-composition” books. These are generally small enough to fit into my back pocket. I make field notes of where I am seeing the birds on each of my scouting trips. (I also keep one for deer and will generally have both of these on me at all times while in the field) I try to write down everything I can. It truly helps with the mental recollection of details…when you compare notes you sometimes find remarkable similarities with habitat and will begin to make your scouting more profitable.



Final Preparation - The final steps I would recommend is to begin fine tuning your calling skills now. This is something that you do not need to wait until the night before the hunt to perfect … it will not happen. I also recommend taking the time to pattern your gun. There is no doubt in my mind that "old reliable" is sitting there cleaned and ready, but it is vitally important no matter what game you are hunting that you are certain that you are going to have a "one shot – one kill situation."

Thanks for taking the time to read this post and I appreciate your follow. I hope this helps you in preparation of the “Big Day” and I look forward to hearing your stories. When commenting feel free to leave additional advice that would make this scouting season better.

Happy scouting!

r.b. wright



Next time ... The one that got away

My entire life I have heard stories about the one that got away. I have had buddies say – “You should have seen this buck” or “I know that bass was a record”.  I have always laughed and knew there was some exaggeration in what they were saying. Now I find myself looking back on those stories and thinking….maybe they were telling the truth. Why am I now second guessing these stories of the past? Because I now have one of my own and there is no exaggeration.



Let me set the stage. It is December 31st, 2010 - the next to last day of whitetail season in N.C. I have been hunting all year and have had a decent season. I have seen some nice young bucks. I have harvested some does and cull bucks for meat. Truthfully, I have not been disappointed. Shortly after the rut began winding down, I began to explore even more the land that I hunt. I know it is odd to do this in the middle of the season, but much of my land was under water during the off season. I hunt an area that has over 2 miles of shoreline on the Black River. It is covered with water oaks and cypress trees (truly beautiful). One of the slews that I duck hunt generally has two to three feet of water; however, in late November of this year it was just a moist bottom covered with acorns and cypress knees. I came across a ridge that allowed me a bird’s eye view of most of the slew and also into an oak thicket. I decided that I would hunt this area the remainder of the season, then further investigate in February for sheds and stand placement. During my hunts here I saw numerous deer, including two of the does I harvested, several young bucks, and the buck that I chose to cull due to its antler growth. I also discovered several rubs and scrapes and knew that there was a larger buck here than I had been seeing. On Friday, the 31st, I was sitting against a tree when the sun came up across the slew. The slew was still covered with a layer of snow that we received five days earlier (something that is highly unusual for this area) The woods came alive as a group of twenty or so woodies flew over the slew. I began watching squirrels as they worked fiercely at accomplishing their mission of touching every single tree in the bottom. I was greeted by a group of hens flying down form the roost above me. A group of does made their way across the bottom feeding on the vast supply of large acorns. It was a spectacular morning….one that I knew should end well. Over the next two hours I lost count of the species of wildlife I had seen. I watched deer, ducks, geese, turkeys, squirrels, fox, a bobcat, and birds of every variety. I remember how amazingly bright the cardinal looked with the snow backdrop. I sat there thinking about how fortunate I was to have a place like this to hunt. I also thought about the doe I had harvested the afternoon prior while hunting for hogs on my buddy's land. Although our primary mission was to harvest a hog, he had made it clear to please thin out the deer population and harvest a doe if the hogs chose not to visit us….this is exactly what had happened. Sorry about the tangent – back to the story - around 9:30 a.m. I began to hear the sound of distant hounds. In southeastern North Carolina, it is still legal to use dogs to hunt deer. For those of you not familiar with this style of hunting, hunters turn a group of dogs out on a fresh deer track and surround a block of woods using the dogs to drive the deer out. Like most deer hunters in southeastern N.C., this is how I was introduced to deer hunting. I have since grown to prefer the art of still hunting but enjoy the sound of the dogs in the swamp. Two of the tracts of land adjacent to mine are leased by “dog hunters” and occasionally the dogs will run the deer onto our land. I must tell you at this point that a buck is a truly intelligent animal. I have seen dogs hot on the trail of an old buck and he (the buck) will lead the dogs into a group of does diverting them to a doe trail and he will slip off unharmed. It is really amazing to watch. As I was listening the freight train of dogs echoing through the woods, I realized they were getting closer to me. I stood up with my shotgun in hand wondering what they could be after. I saw movement across the slew and watched as three does hopped across the bottom about two minutes ahead of the dogs. These deer were coming straight for me. The closer they came the faster my mind began to think... "Do I need any more meat” “Do I want to clean another deer today?" "I think I can get two of the three" You may laugh but this is what I was thinking! I could hear the snow crushing against their feet and the sound of the dogs was deafening in the river bottom. I chose to let the does pass and shortly thereafter the dogs that are hot the trail. As I am watching the last dog leave I hear a crashing in the bushes thirty yards from where I am standing. I turn and see the largest buck I have ever seen in the wild get up from his bed and begin to run full throttle in the direction the dogs had come from. I quickly lift my Benelli to my shoulder trying to get my Truglo site on the bucks vitals. He is moving with such speed and agility that it is near impossible to keep in the line of fire. He, presumably unintentionally, is able to build a barrier of trees between himself and I. I fired at the first three opening I had and each was unable to hit its mark. The buck had already reached 75 yards before I was able to squeeze the trigger the first time. I watched as he danced his way through the bottom and towards the river. I knew that I had done nothing but motivated him to run faster. As I set on the ridge for the next thirty minutes replaying the scene, I realized that I had actually accomplished something here. I had just witnessed a creature that most people would never see in this area. I had proven my theory that big bucks prefer these bottoms, which is why I was trying to find a way to hunt this area in the first place. I also realized that I now have the upper hand. I know where he lives and odds favor the fact that he survived this season. I am already looking forward to next hunting season. By the way, the picture above is not this deer - if I had taken a picture of him, it would be with me holding his head up!  This picture was the closest I could find to resemble him.

Life is funny. There is always something that happens that motivates us to keep doing what we do. Maybe it is that one good golf shot during a round where we shot 112. Maybe is it the line breaking on the one fish we hooked all day. For me it is seeing the buck that I have wanted to hunt my entire life and knowing that I am not hunting a figment of my imagination, but an intelligent, beautiful animal on his turf. I respect this King of the bottom and I look forward to the challenges that I will face this upcoming year in my attempt to harvest him.

I look forward to hearing your stories. Don’t forget about our upcoming challenge to get in shape in 2011.

Talk to you soon,


r.b. wright

Get in shape - get the edge

I know that this video is long…in fact it is about five minutes longer than I like to post. The subject matter however is important so if you can – watch and let me know whether or not you agree. I have realized over the last few months that I AM OUT OF SHAPE. This is something that is becoming more apparent as I grow older. It is the culmination of this thought, gentle hints from my wife, and the onset of 2011 that I realize that now is the time I need to do something about it. The benefits of being healthy for anyone is overwhelming, but if you are having difficulty finding motivation and you are an avid outdoorsman, allow me the opportunity to offer a few benefits that may awaken your “motivation cells”:

1. Stamina

2. Mental focus

3. Confidence

These are but a few benefits that we in the field can use to our advantage. Stay tuned for an upcoming challenge for 2011. No entry fees. No prizes. A simple challenge and accountability set-up for those who love the outdoors that are serious about getting healthy and having an edge in 2011.  I am considering using Fridays as the day we focus on health.

It will also be the day that those who are setting their goals can post their successes and/or failures.

 I know that if someone is holding me accountable, I work harder.  Just my thought -- looking forward to hearing yours.

r.b. wright

Sometimes we need a good laugh

Now I do not know the true validity of the e-mail below....what I do know is the more I read it - the more I laughed and all of us need a good laugh now and again.

The e-mail reads as follows:

"Subject: Why we shoot deer in the wild
(A letter from someone who wants to remain
Anonymous, who farms, writes well and actually
tried this)

I had this idea that I could rope a deer, put it in
a stall, feed it up on corn for a couple of weeks,
then kill it and eat it. The first step in this adventure
was getting a deer. I figured that, since they
congregate at my cattle feeder and do not seem
to have much fear of me when we are there
(a bold one will sometimes come right up and
sniff at the bags of feed while I am in the back
of the truck not 4 feet away), it should not be
difficult to rope one, get up to it and toss a bag
over its head (to calm it down) then hog tie it
and transport it home.

I filled the cattle feeder then
hid down at the end with my rope. The cattle,
having seen the roping thing before, stayed well
back. They were not having any of it. After
about 20 minutes, my deer showed up-- 3 of them.
I picked out a likely looking one, stepped out
from the end of the feeder, and threw my rope.
The deer just stood there and stared at me. I
wrapped the rope around my waist and twisted the
end so I would have a good hold.

The deer still just stood and stared at me, but you
could tell it was mildly concerned about the
whole rope situation. I took a step towards it,
it took a step away. I put a little tension on
the rope .., and then received an education. The
first thing that I learned is that, while a deer
may just stand there looking at you funny while
you rope it, they are spurred to action when you
start pulling on that rope.

That deer EXPLODED. The second thing I learned is that
pound for pound, a deer is a LOT stronger than a
cow or a colt. A cow or a colt in that weight
range I could fight down with a rope and with
some dignity. A deer-- no chance.

That thing ran and bucked and twisted and pulled.
There was no controlling it and certainly no
getting close to it. As it jerked me off my feet
and started dragging me across the ground, it
occurred to me that having a deer on a rope was
not nearly as good an idea as I had originally
imagined. The only upside is that they do not
have as much stamina as many other animals.


A brief 10 minutes later, it was tired
and not nearly as quick to jerk me off my feet
and drag me when I managed to get up. It took me
a few minutes to realize this, since I was
mostly blinded by the blood flowing out of the
big gash in my head. At that point, I had lost
my taste for corn-fed venison. I just wanted to
get that devil creature off the end of that
rope.

I figured if I just let it go with
the rope hanging around its neck, it would
likely die slow and painfully somewhere. At the
time, there was no love at all between me and
that deer. At that moment, I hated the thing,
and I would venture a guess that the feeling was
mutual.
Despite the gash in my head and the
several large knots where I had cleverly
arrested the deer's momentum by bracing my head
against various large rocks as it dragged me
across the ground, I could still think clearly
enough to recognize that there was a small
chance that I shared some tiny amount of
responsibility for the situation we were in. I
didn't want the deer to have to suffer a slow
death, so I managed to get it lined back up in
between my truck and the feeder - a little trap
I had set before hand...kind of like a squeeze
chute. I got it to back in there and I started
moving up so I could get my rope back.


Did you know that deer bite?


They do! I never in a million years
would have thought that a deer would bite
somebody, so I was very surprised when ... I
reached up there to grab that rope and the deer
grabbed hold of my wrist. Now, when a deer bites
you, it is not like being bit by a horse where
they just bite you and then let go. A deer bites
you and shakes its head--almost like a pit bull.
They bite HARD and it hurts.

The proper thing to do when a deer bites you is probably to
freeze and draw back slowly. I tried screaming
and shaking instead. My method was ineffective.


It seems like the deer was biting and
shaking for several minutes, but it was likely
only several seconds. I, being smarter than a
deer (though you may be questioning that claim
by now), tricked it. While I kept it busy
tearing the tendons out of my right arm, I
reached up with my left hand and pulled that
rope loose.

That was when I got my final
lesson in deer behavior for the day.


Deer will strike at you with their front
feet. They rear right up on their back feet and
strike right about head and shoulder level, and
their hooves are surprisingly sharp.. I learned
a long time ago that, when an animal --like a
horse --strikes at you with their hooves and you
can't get away easily, the best thing to do is
try to make a loud noise and make an aggressive
move towards the animal. This will usually cause
them to back down a bit so you can escape.


This was not a horse. This was a deer,
so obviously, such trickery would not work. In
the course of a millisecond, I devised a
different strategy. I screamed like a woman and
tried to turn and run. The reason I had always
been told NOT to try to turn and run from a
horse that paws at you is that there is a good
chance that it will hit you in the back of the
head. Deer may not be so different from horses
after all, besides being twice as strong and 3
times as evil, because the second I turned to
run, it hit me right in the back of the head and
knocked me down.

Now, when a deer paws
at you and knocks you down, it does not
Immediately leave. I suspect it does not
recognize that the danger has passed. What they
do instead is paw your back and jump up and down
on you while you are laying there crying like a
little girl and covering your head.

I finally managed to crawl under the truck and the
deer went away. So now I know why when people go
deer hunting they bring a rifle with a
scope......to sort
of even the odds!!


All these events are true so help me God... An
Educated Farmer."

I Hope you enjoyed that as much as I did. I appreciate the pictures that you have been sending. I talked with a friend of mine who just returned from Alberta where he and his brother harvested two nice deer in the 160 class. I am also reviewing/editing some footage form a fantastic red fish and trout bite that is going on here in NC. I will be posting these in the very near future.

Stay safe and do not forget to laugh.

rb